As we were going to Florida to visit our friends Pam and Pat for Thanksgiving, we decided to spend a couple of days at Disney, especially to visit their new Star Wars Park that opened last August and that is located in Magic Kingdom, as well as eat at some of the international restaurants in Epcot (reservation needed for sure). Before I talk about the food there, let me tell you few things about the park: it was very crowded with some of the attractions having long lines (2 hours for the Millenium Falcon ride that was less than 10 minutes and no fast pass) and the food being expensive (except the two restaurants mentioned below) and not that great (that overpriced churro we tried was like a cardboard). But, if you are a fan of Star Wars, it is fun to go there as they did a great job recreating the feel of it and you could sense some excitement from all the visitors, including us. For sure we did not prepare properly the trip because it seems that you could also load an app to make the visit more interactive, with functions to translate messages or activate things like lights. However, we unfortunately did not see that many characters walking around besides storm troupers or the emperor. I just wish we saw Chewbacca! Anyway, for the fans of the movies, this is definitely a delight.

Then Epcot: this is my favorite park and I love the international section that I guess they expanded a bit as I do not recall having seen Canada or Germany a decade ago, during our last visit. There are also more restaurants (there is even a steakhouse but Jodi being vegetarian, we passed). So we had two reservations: the Moroccan and the French restaurant. Here is a quick summary of our experience there, but before I start, let me explain that people working in each restaurant or shop are from the country they represent. So it will be French people for France and Moroccan people for Morocco. This is such a great way to interact with people, especially if you do not have the chance to travel.

Marrakech - Moroccan restaurant

If you have been to Morocco, you will be amazed how Marrakech looks like a place from there. Tucked at the end of a narrow street that mimics the souk, a popular market, the main dining room is very impressive with its very high ceiling and mosaic decor. To give even more authenticity, you even get to watch some belly dancing but I admit that I did not stand up to take a photo, scared that they would invite me to dance as it sometimes happens when dining in this kind of restaurants!

Menu wise, they have couscous and Tagine that are classic dishes, and I recommend the mint tea that, surprisingly, they kept refilling. Everything was good and we finished with some beignets filled with vanilla cream that were amazing.

Les Chefs de France - French restaurant

This large upscale brasserie is one of the most popular places to eat and without a reservation, you would need to wait 9pm to try your luck. With its authentic decor, it offers classic French dishes like the onion soup (nice amount of cheese), the escargots or the boeuf bourguignon that is rarely seen on menus: it is a dish made with beef braised in a wine sauce with onions and carrots. It was good, although not the best I had (Paname in New York serves a good one if you are there) and I just wished there was more sauce to mix it with the linguine. Still, if you’ve never tried this, I suggest you give it a shot. Desserts are classic too and their crème brûlée quite good. Overall a good meal.

Creme brûlée at Les Chefs de France in Epcot

One thing I should mention is that there is a French bakery where you can buy croissants, chocolate croissants, brioche or pastries like eclairs and macarons. It is a very good and cheaper alternative to the breakfast at the Disney hotels...Just a suggestion...

Enjoy (I did)!

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A visit to Disney Star Wars and food at Epcot

Jean-Philippe Gerbi